Durban: A 22-year-old Miss South Africa hopeful who was abandoned in a box outside a factory in Chatsworth shortly after birth is hoping her story can encourage others that life can get better.
Fikile Cele, from Chatsworth, shared her story of hope on Facebook recently.
Cele who doesn’t speak or understand isiZulu said she was abandoned in a box outside a factory in Chatsworth and was found by her adopted mother who is Indian.
“All I had in the box was my birth certificate, hence my name.”
According to Cele, her biological mother, was a teenager when she fell pregnant with her and ran away from her home in Johannesburg to Durban because she was afraid of her family at the time.
“I was born at the RK Khan's hospital on the 5th of April 1999 and I was adopted as a two-month-old baby thereafter.”
Cele said her biological mother soon came to look for her and was given visitation rights through her adoptive mom.
“I don't remember my biological mother, as she passed away when I was just five-years-old and the only memory I have of her is her funeral.”
Cele said over the years she overcame many struggles.
“I was told that I don't belong here, and as a young child, I also struggled through illness.
“I learned that with God nothing is impossible. When you trust that where you are going is nothing compared to where you are currently, everything works out for your highest good.
“I'm here to tell you that it is okay to be different, okay to be you and that I am worth it and so are you.”
Cele said she believed that as Miss South Africa 2021, she can use her power, self-confidence and greatness to advocate for every woman who has felt broken, felt unseen or unheard, limited or abandoned by whatever circumstances they have encountered in life.
“I am here to be the ripple effect of change and be a beacon of hope for everyone in my community and for young girls like me.
“I hope my story inspires you and just ask of you to listen more and judge less.“
Cele is a co-host on Sunrise FM. Her favourite food is crab and sheep head curry.
She hopes to pursue her studies in child psychology to assist young children who are experiencing challenges in their lives. She also hopes to grow in the radio broadcasting industry.
IOL